Is it time for Comic Time?

[Chris24601]

So, I like my toons to fit the setting lore and my latest one led me down the rabbit hole of the canon timeline.

 

The use of real dates was fine in 2004 and still passable in 2012 when the game shut down, but in 2020?

 

Let me present a few examples;

Manticore was born in 1968 so he was 36 in 2004, 44 in 2012 and 52 in 2020.

 

Mynx was born in 1982 and 22 at the game launch (right age for college student turned new superhero), but would be 30 by 2012 and 38 in 2020.

 

Back Alley Brawler’s heyday in the eighties was 30-40 years ago, putting him (a natural orgin hero) at least in his late 50s, but possibly into his 70s today.

 

Now for some heroes it doesn’t matter as much... Ms. Liberty is probably as ageless as her mom (who was 72 when she died in the SSA) so, apart from her fashion choices despite now being in her 40s (maybe even 50s... her mom was in her 20s during the 1960s) it’s fine that she still only looks 20-something.

 

Anyway, what I’m getting at is that City of Heroes is now getting old enough that, unless you want Star Trek V or the later Star Wars EU (“70 is the new 30” was actually said by one of the authors when asked why Han Solo could still be running around like a young man despite being in his 70s by that point)... then the game should probably start implementing the concept of “comic book time” as applied by DC and Marvel.

 

In other words, remove specific dates unless absolutely necessary (or the subject is functionally immortal) and replace them with X years ago.

 

The other alternative; and possibly a way to make Homecoming stand apart from the game as it appeared live; would be to let the march of years progress in future story content.

 

Manticore passes his mantle to an apprentice or pre-Sister Psyche illegitimate child (fitting for a Batman/Green Arrow expy mashup). Back Alley Brawler retires entirely (while the super serum Marauder used extended his lifespan). Ms. Liberty steps up as a senior hero along with other members of the Vindicators becoming members of the Freedom Phalanx as older members retire.

 

Comic Book Time would probably be easier to implement.

[jubakumbi]

1 minute ago, Chris24601 said:

Comic Book Time would probably be easier to implement.

I love the idea.

Would be great to see different things happening on different shards and server groups as well, with each shard becoming a different time-line of possibilities.

[Marine X]

Can we just implement this Globally?

I was born in Early 1964..... and think It would be good if I could go on without knowing that.....

[Call Me Awesome]

7 hours ago, Marine X said:

Can we just implement this Globally?

I was born in Early 1964..... and think It would be good if I could go on without knowing that.....

Argh, don't remind me, I'm only a year behind you.  Now I need to wear those reading glasses I always laughed at.  Karma's a bitch.

[Frostbiter]

What we really really really need is some kind of massive plotline full of crossovers where there's some sort of crisis that collapses all the timelines back to 2004 that the fans will all end up hating. We'll call it Crisis of Infinite Years or something.

[jubakumbi]

40 minutes ago, Frostbiter said:

What we really really really need is some kind of massive plotline full of crossovers where there's some sort of crisis that collapses all the timelines back to 2004 that the fans will all end up hating. We'll call it Crisis of Infinite Years or something.

Could just reset the servers every couple months to represent the timelines collapsing...that would definately make the fans hate it...

[DR_Mechano]

47 minutes ago, Frostbiter said:

What we really really really need is some kind of massive plotline full of crossovers where there's some sort of crisis that collapses all the timelines back to 2004 that the fans will all end up hating. We'll call it Crisis of Infinite Years or something.

Yeah but then we'd have to do things like Years Crisis Infinite a few years later to try to recapture the magic that the original cross over had...and keep doing it every 2-4 years hoping that we'll once more get people talking like doing Smashpoint: Paradox which somehow has Back Alley Brawler going to an alternative universe where all the heroes are at war with one another and the entire world is going to end, then have the servers rebooted with a New 8 where somehow Statesman never actually died or something...

[Frostbiter]

Ooh, and then we should do a crossover where all the Hero groups start fighting each other over sandwich choices. Sandwich Civil War.

[DR_Mechano]

Just now, Frostbiter said:

Ooh, and then we should do a crossover where all the Hero groups start fighting each other over sandwich choices. Sandwich Civil War.

Getting ahead of yourself there! First we have to have Secret Sandwich war where it turns out all the best sandwiches are replaced with evil alien imposter Sandwiches THEN once that fact gets known and it turns out people ate those alien Sandwiches which are mind controlling them THEN we get Sandwich Civil War.

[Frostbiter]

*drops his Italian BMT, looks at it suspiciously

Edited February 20, 2020 by Frostbiter

[Aracknight]

I dunno.  Given the timing of Homecoming's appearance and Avengers Endgame, I think there's an argument for a "blip" where all of those things are still true, but a bunch of years passed for everyone except those who were "snapped" at sunset.  It'd also explain why technology (cars, cell phones) haven't advanced because no one was on Paragon Earth to advance them. 

 

That's how I view it anyway.

 

You make a good argument, either way.  A lot of Marvel characters got their start in the 60s,  Iron Man, for example, whose cinematic origin was updated to be in Afghanistan instead of Vietnam.  Your idea of "x years ago" plays well, but I think there's room for a lot of takes here.

[jubakumbi]

34 minutes ago, Frostbiter said:

*drops his Italian BMT, looks at it suspiciously

*points at BMT* - You going to eat that?

Edited February 20, 2020 by jubakumbi